Dragon's Heart

by LaVerne Thompson

  “Is he resting?” a deep voice asked behind her.

  Startled Maya whirled around, her arm making contact with a hard muscular chest. She didn’t give herself time to think. Resting her face against Draakar’s chest, she wrapped her arms around his waist, needing to feel the strength, the power she would find in his arms. Just this once. That’s all she would allow herself.

  She shivered from the contact.

  Hold me. I just need you to hold me right now.

  All you need do is ask. His arms enveloped her and warmth and comfort flooded her system.

  Draakar placed his chin on top of her head, knowing contentment with his mate. He breathed a sigh of relief. At last he held her in his arms. Where she belonged.

  Determined not to let this moment pass them by, he transferred them to his sitting room. He had no idea how long they stood there holding on to each other. Whatever she needed he would provide, even if he had to stand there for an eternity. Much too soon she pulled away from him, but she didn’t go far, just removed her hands from around him. Slowly, reluctantly, he released her and let his hands fall to his sides. Still, she didn’t step back. They were making progress.

  “Are you all right?” he murmured.

  She looked around. He could tell by her expression she’d just noticed they were no longer in the hallway, but in his sitting room. She made no effort to leave. Again progress.

  “I’m not sure,” she said, wrapping her arms around her body as though bereft of his touch. “I can maybe understand why the betrayer would hurt Paul, but why kill his wife? She had no power and couldn’t help him in any way.”

  “He thrives off the negative energy of others, Maya. Killing, instilling fear, and destroying others is the way he gains satisfaction and power over others. With him it’s all about control.”

  “I guess if he’d kill his own people, his own brother, he’d have no problem killing an innocent.”

  “That’s not all that’s bothering you though…is it?”

  “No. I sensed something earlier. I…I think I even saw something out there on the mountain. It looked like some kind of a shadow, but it seemed to have a tangible presence. The essence of it somehow felt familiar to me.” She shook her head. “That doesn’t really seem right.”

  He shrugged. “The betrayer may have cloaked himself from your eyes but you were able to sense him because of an ancestral memory of his presence. That may be why he seemed familiar to you.”

  Maya’s sigh seemed one of relief. “That’s what I thought, it was just a memory. It was just such a strange feeling.” She looked around again and stepped away from him. “Ah, Paul’s still unconscious, but he seems a little better,” she continued and he read her nervousness. “I…left Sherri with him and he had rolled to his side by the time I left.”

  The way she moved away from him and her eyes wondered the room to anywhere but on him, told him she was aware of his nearness as he of hers. “If he’s got movement back, that’s good. He should be waking soon.”

  “What did the betrayer do to him?”

  “He tried to steal his powers, possibly by trying to drain his magicks and taking it into himself.”

  “My God! Can he do that?”

  “He has tried before but I have no memory of it working. While he can drain magick, as far as I know he has not been able to absorb what he’s drained, at least not for any length of time. If enough of our magicks is drained the brethren is most likely to die. Paul, somehow, must have been able to get away from him long enough to cross over the wards. The power there the only thing capable of saving him. I had to draw a little of earth’s magicks into Paul to restore his energy balance until he can heal himself. To do that, both his body as well as his mind needs to rest. He’s suffered twice fold. He had to watch his wife killed, helpless to stop it.”

  “Oh no, poor Paul! His wife seemed like a nice person. She didn’t deserve this, neither does Paul.”

  “No one does. I’ll check on Paul in a bit.”

  “Ah, you don’t need to actually go and see him to do that, do you?”

  “No, but I was. Is there some reason why I shouldn’t?”

  “Sherri’s with him and I don’t think they should be disturbed. Give them a little while.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, for one thing, Paul moved for the first time after Sherri touched him, and when she did, her hand on his glowed.”

  “I see. Do you have any idea what that could mean?”

  “I’m not sure, but watching her with him, I just get the feeling there may be some feelings involved; at least on her part. Could they be a pair?”

  “Maybe, or Sherri could be a healer. If so, the glow you saw may have just been the use of her healing power. She does radiate an aura of natural empathy. It has been a long time since the brethren had a healer other than myself, and my abilities would be nowhere near a natural empath. They were the first ones destroyed during the purges. We don’t know why. We’ll just have to wait and see how strong Sherri is.

  “But for both their sakes,” he continued, “I hope they are not a pair. Paul’s suffered a shock, and it will be some time before he will be able to look beyond his grief. As a result, his powers will be greatly lessened, and if he rejects Sherri, hers will be as well.”

  Draakar did not tell Maya he could read Paul’s emotions. Even unconscious, Paul suffered with guilt because he’d been unable to save his wife. Draakar could hear the echo of her screams in Paul’s mind, and they gave him chills. He could only imagine what Paul must have felt to watch his wife tortured and murdered before his eyes.

  “If they are a pair, I hope he turns to her,” Maya said. “Why would he reject her?”

  “Sometimes loss can affect people in destructive ways,” Draakar responded. “He will blame himself for what happened. We’ll keep an eye on him. He just needs time to heal physically and mentally. While his body will be fine in a day or two, I’m afraid his emotional health may take longer to recover.”

  I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.

  He picked up her surface thought, and for a moment, the echo of her pain sliced through his own heart. “Yes, your grandmother. She died recently. I’m sorry I never had a chance to meet her, but if you’d let me, I can get to know her through you. I know how much you loved and miss her.”

  “She would have liked you,” she said while smiling, and cocked her head to examine him. “She always had a thing for handsome men.”

  Draakar grinned, standing straighter. “So you think I’m handsome?”

  Maya snorted. “You’ve got a mirror. Just don’t let it go to your head. I’m not.” She took a step toward him and the tips of her fingers gently touched his arm. “Wait...something’s just occurred to me. If I’m brethren, then one or both of my parents are brethren. Does that mean my grandmother could have been brethren?”

  It took Draakar a moment to answer her question, mesmerized by her unconscious touch of his arm. Unconscious or not, the gesture still sent a charge up his arm, raising the fine hairs all over his body. She must have sensed his response to her, probably because he could feel a soft glow emanating from his eyes. She quickly removed her hand. He took a deep breath to calm his racing blood and forced his mind to slow down and answer her query.

  “That’s more than likely true. For you to have the powers you do, my guess is both of your parents are brethren, possibly even truemates. I can not say for certain if your grandmother was brethren, though.” Draakar moved farther into the room and sat down in one of the two matching chairs, inviting Maya with a casual flick of his wrist to sit in the other. “Tell me about your grandmother. Nana, right? Let me get to know her through your eyes. Let me get to know you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  A fair request and Maya read sincerity in his words. Yet, even sitting Draakar dominated the room, enveloping her within his spell. “I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” Maya decided.

  “What? Getting to
know you better? I don’t want to read your memories. I want you to tell me of them.”

  Maya allowed her body to relax. That was the last thing she wanted, him in her head anymore than he already resided there. “All right.” She sat in the chair next to Draakar and curled her feet up against her side. A wine decanter and two glasses half-full of red wine appeared on the table between the chairs. He picked up a glass and offered it to her.

  “Thank you,” she said, and took a sip of the rich burgundy then began to talk. She talked about her family and about her grandmother. Then he told her about life on Akgon, and showed her what it looked like by opening his mind to her.

  “Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “Purple and blue sky. Why, this is beautiful! I love it! Except for the twin suns, it’s not much different from earth.”

  “Days are slightly longer there.” Draakar smiled as he spoke. “But the nights are filled with colorful shooting stars streaking across the skies.” The very vivid picture he placed in her mind took her breath away. The stars, of course, were dragons in flight surrounded by their auras.

  “It does seem a lot like earth. Maybe because the trees and landscapes look very similar to ones here on my planet.”

  “Some of them are very similar. We have something that’s very close to pears. The trees look the same, as does the shape, but instead of a yellowish color they’re more of a royal blue color. The taste is the same, though.”

  “It also looks like your world has an abundance of waterfalls.” Maya could grow to love it there. Wait, where did that thought come from? She could never go there, not even for a brief visit. Going there would mean leaving her family and friends, everything she knew. Going there would mean accepting Draakar and responsibility for the brethren. No, she couldn’t do it.

  She leaned forward and placed her empty glass on the table next to the empty bottle. Had they really just drunk an entire bottle of wine? Not something she did often. Then again, since she’d met Draakar, she had ventured way past her comfort zone. Beyond any known zone.

  “I think I’ll turn in now.” She got up and stretched, raising her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. “What will we do about the betrayer?”

  “Tomorrow I will try to find his trail again, but for tonight…are you sure you want to leave?” Draakar looked at Maya over the rim of his wine glass with hooded eyes.

  He seemed relaxed and poised, but hooded eyes or not, she felt his constant desire for her. It vibrated off her own. “I think I better,” she said, turning away from him.

  She made it as far as the door.

  Just before her hand touched the doorknob, two cloth-covered arms appeared over her shoulders and large, long-fingered hands pressed flat against the door. If she leaned back a hair she would touch him. Hell, she could already feel him. He didn’t have to physically touch her. Her body vibrated with awareness of his. Every pore opened wide, infusing his scent into her body; every hair reached, straining to brush against his flesh. He bent his head forward and his ebony tresses cascaded over her shoulders and onto her chest, forming a shroud around them. Every cell in her body came to full attention in anticipation of his caress.

  She raised her head to rub the side of her face against his smooth skin. The friction caused both their bodies to give off a soft glow. He withdrew his hands from the door and gently clasped her shoulders. His mouth hovered near her ear, and she turned her head to bring her nearer so she could feel his lips against her skin. The pressure of his hands on her increased, silently, encouraging her on. She needed to touch him like this, to know his taste, his kiss and assuage this burning curiosity.

  Just once.

  Her words came out as a harsh breath against his lips. “Once is all I need, just this once.”

  I am always yours to command.

  Nothing about their kiss seemed slow, gentle or innocent. Their mouths didn’t touch, they fused, and the glow surrounding them grew brighter. Hotter. Catching both in an inferno of need.

  Draakar brought one hand up to cup her face. The other he wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his body until she had knowledge of every hard ridge of him. She shifted closer wanting more as her heart raced to catch up with the demand of the blood, pumping through her veins because of his touch.

  He moved his mouth to her cheek, neck, anywhere and everywhere he could touch. He couldn’t seem to devour enough of her. One of the fingers he splayed on her face ended up in her mouth. Maya swirled her tongue around it as she began to rub her body against the hard planes of his. The entire room looked as though bathed in a bright golden bronze light.

  I will die where I stand if I cannot get inside, now.

  His thought mirrored her own. The shrill ring of an old-fashion styled phone eventually permeated the sounds of their labored breathing, and infected the fantasy he’d woven between them.

  “What in all the hells is that?” Draakar snarled.

  Gasping for breath, Maya managed to get out, “Ah, my…my cell phone. I’ve got to answer it.” Shaking her head, her brain began to function again. “That’s my special ring for calls from home. My parents only use it if…if it’s important.”

  “What could be...?” Draakar began.

  Maya let him see the memory of the last time she’d heard this particular ring. Her mother used it to tell her about her grandmother. He kept quiet but kept his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. Enclosing her in a different kind of warmth, letting her know whether good or bad happening in her life, he remained here for her. You are not alone.

  Maya shifted so she could unhook her cell phone from her belt clip and took a deep breath before she answered it. Still she stammered. “He-Hello.” She paused. “Dad, Dad, I can barely hear you. What’s wrong? What’s going on? Ohmygodohmygod! No! I’m coming. I’m coming home.” Another pause then, “Yes, yes. I’ll call back with the details. I love you, Dad. Tell Mom…tell Mom, I love her and I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  The phone fell from her nerveless hand, but Draakar caught it with a look. He returned it to her belt clip. Holding her in his arms the entire time, Maya knew he listened in on the conversation from both sides. Grateful she didn’t have to explain a thing, Maya looked at him. This time tracks of tears covered her face and more pooled in her eyes. She buried her face in his shoulder.

  “Mom…Mom. Please God, not my mom!” Her body trembled with the force of her emotions.

  “Shhh. All will be well. I have already sent Ian to get the jet ready. He will fly us to the States. I’ve alerted the other brethren. They will meet us at the car where your packed bags are already waiting. All we have to do is go.”

  She fought to stop the tears and accepted his help. One less thing to worry about. She raised her head and wiped her face, trying to pull herself together. “Just like my nana, Draakar,” she spoke in a voice roughened by grief. “My mother was involved in a hit and run just like Nana. What is wrong with this world?”

  “She is alive, Maya, and she will remain that way until I can get there to make sure of it. I had Ian call in a skilled human doctor with a little brethren blood to oversee your mother’s care. I also asked Mother Earth to help maintain her life energy, which she can do. I just need to get us there.”

  Evening settled on the mountain, and Maya clung to him as they walked down the castle steps. Four of their brethren waited for them beside the limo. Robert opened the door for them and Draakar followed behind her. Darryl and Robert climbed in behind them. James shut the door and got behind the wheel. Cass sat up front to keep him company.

  Maya found herself burrowed under Draakar’s arm, but she raised her head to look at their companions. You all don’t have to do this. Please, you don’t have to come with us. Stay and finish practicing your magicks.

  Cass turned around to face her. We go where you go, my Lady, Cass sent, expressing her sympathy and resolve in that one look. Maya nodded in silent acknowledgement. She and Cass had made peace of sorts between them.

&
nbsp; We can practice anywhere, James sent, interrupting Maya and Cass’ visual communication. Besides you might need us.

  “What about Paul?” Maya asked aloud to no one in particular. “He will need looking after for a couple of days.”

  “Sherri is staying with him,” Draakar said. “They will both be safe here. As soon as Paul is able to travel they will join us.”

  “Won’t they need to remain here?” Maya asked. “What about the betrayer? I can’t let what is happening to me stop the rest of you from looking for him.”

  “He is not an immediate danger,” Draakar replied. Yes, we need to find him, but you are more important.

  Maya turned to give him a sad smile when she caught his thought.

  “His scent is no longer in the area,” Draakar said aloud. “He knows he can’t get past the wards on his own. Right now your need comes first. Besides, my instincts are telling me he will follow us in the hopes we can somehow provide him with the means of entry to the Stones.” Draakar paused before continuing. “I hope he follows us,” he growled. “I want this over with, so we will travel to the United States. In any case, I suspect Talon is there.”

  “We’re stronger together anyway,” Darryl said. “So we stick together.”

  “Thank you. All of you,” Maya said and looked at Draakar again. She could sense his fear—he thought he would not return to Akgon in time—and also his need to stop the spread of evil on earth. Yet, he remained with her. Thank you.

  We take care of our own. I told you, you will never be alone again. I will always stand by you. My Lady.

  Draakar didn’t say it as a title, but as something more intimate and personal to him, and Maya accepted it as such.

  She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, trusting him to get her to her mother’s side and to keep her alive. More importantly, she began to trust him with herself. The feel of a firefly’s kiss on her forehead woke her up from an all too brief dreamless sleep. The moment she opened her eyes, the worry and fear rushed back in.